Pubdate: Sat, 29 Mar 2014
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2014 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Contact: http://www.reviewjournal.com/about/print/press/letterstoeditor.html
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233
Author: Sean Whaley

ACTION CLEARS WAY FOR PROGRAM

Commission Adopts Regulations to Govern Marijuana Facilities

CARSON CITY - State Sen. Tick Segerblom said his goal is to have one 
medical marijuana dispensary operating in Nevada by year's end 
following Friday's adoption of regulations establishing state rules 
for the facilities to operate.

Now that state regulations mapping out how the program will be 
implemented have been approved by the Legislative Commission, it is 
time for local governments to "get off their butts" and adopt their 
own rules for the dispensaries to operate, Segerblom said.

The regulations were adopted without any comments or questions from 
lawmakers on the commission or from the public.

"A lot of local jurisdictions said they wanted to wait until the 
state regulations were adopted," Segerblom said. "Well, now they are 
adopted. We've waited 14 years. It's time to get moving."

Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, who authored the bill in the 2013 session to 
establish the medical marijuana dispensary program, said Clark County 
is the only entity so far that is moving forward quickly to establish 
local rules for the businesses to operate.

Now that the state regulations are adopted, the business of accepting 
applications from those interested in participating in the program 
will move forward.

At a state Board of Health hearing earlier this month when the 
regulations saw initial approval, attendees were told there will be a 
45day notice announcing the date that applications will be accepted.

Once the application period opens, there only will be a 10-day window 
for accepting them.

After the application period closes, the state must make a decision 
on each application within 90 days of receiving it.

But even before a dispensary can open, a state lab needs to be ready 
to test the marijuana. Before that, the plant needs to be cultivated.

And to avoid having to import seeds from other states to begin the 
growing process, dispensary owners may buy specific strains from 
current patients in the state, the law stipulates.

The adopted regulations were drafted by the state Division of Public 
and Behavioral Health and will take effect Tuesday.

The regulations were modified at least 70 times since the bill's 
approval, from security systems to setbacks from neighborhoods to 
ranking and processing applications.

Marla McDade Williams, deputy administrator of the division, said the 
agency is still in the process of hiring the staff needed to move 
forward with the application process.

The goal is to start accepting applications in May or June, but no 
firm date has been set yet, she said.

"Training is very important," Williams said. "We have to make sure 
staff is using very systematic tools in ranking the applications. We 
don't want to get caught up in subjective decision-making."

The agency has estimated that 425 applications for all of the types 
of services to be provided under the law, including growing 
facilities and dispensaries, will be received for processing.

The Legislature in 2013 overwhelmingly approved Assembly Bill 374 
authorizing 66 dispensaries to operate in the state, 40 of them in 
Clark County.

Voters approved a constitutional amendment providing for medical 
marijuana in 2000, and much of the legislative support for the bill 
came from lawmakers who said it was their legal responsibility to 
make the product available.

The current system requires patients to grow their own or get it from 
caregivers who grow it and donate it to patients. The reality is many 
buy the drug from illegal suppliers.

Segerblom commended Williams and the division staff for the getting 
the regulation process completed so efficiently.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom